Ben Kreps “Did you ever reconcile with your dad?” I was asked this question after last Sunday’s service, where I preached on the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. In that sermon, I talked about the striking similarity between my life and that of the ungrateful younger son who demanded his half of the inheritance … Read more
If you are anything like me, you know what it is like to experience the sweet and sometimes painful longing of nostalgia. The feeling is hard to accurately convey, but it can be intoxicating as memories of days long gone wash over our thoughts and imagination, piercing through the ordinariness and challenges of our present … Read more
Good Friday is an important date on the calendar each year as churches across the globe pause to remember and reflect on the death of Christ in preparation for the celebration of Resurrection Sunday. Not to be confused with the materialistic chaos of“Black Friday,” it is called “good” because, though we remember the brutal torture … Read more
Immediately after a generous offering was collected for building the Tabernacle, God called individuals from among the people to play key roles in its construction. He identified them by name and then equipped them for the work. We learn that Bezalel and Oholiab (never caught on as children’s names) were filled with “the Spirit of … Read more
“In the life to come, we will love God more truly because we will finally have an unclouded appreciation of his love for us. Our love for others will also be transformed. In the light of God’s love in heaven, nothing and nobody will be unlovely. Can you imagine a life where you know, without … Read more
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Thanksgiving is the outward expression of a grateful heart. We “give thanks” because we are aware of and grateful for things in our lives that we have received. This means that in order for us … Read more
“It would be interesting to know what it is men are most afraid of. Taking a new step, uttering a new word is what they fear most….” (Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment) In his insightful book The War of Art, author Steven Pressfield identifies the greatest challenge for every creator and creative endeavor. The experience … Read more
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. (1 John 3:16) I looked outside this morning to survey the damage. We had a significant snowstorm, and the plow came through during the night, creating a wall of snow in … Read more
As I write this, it is early morning, and the promised snowstorm has arrived. The snow is falling steadily and has begun covering the ground. The forecast calls for upwards of a foot of snow or more, and my family and I are hunkered down. Our plans for the day are simple: shoveling snow with … Read more